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Qualitative assessment of healthy volunteer experience receiving subcutaneous infusions of high-dose benzathine penicillin G (SCIP) provides insights into design of late phase clinical studiesSecondary prophylaxis to prevent rheumatic heart disease (RHD) progression, in the form of four-weekly intramuscular benzathine benzylpenicillin G (BPG) injections, has remained unchanged since 1955. Qualitative investigations into patient preference have highlighted the need for long-acting penicillins to be delivered less frequently, ideally with reduced pain.

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Margie's story: Parent to a child with ARFWhen Liana complained of a sore foot and showed signs of a fever, her mum Margie rushed her to hospital. An X-ray of her foot revealed no obvious injury, so she was sent home and advised to take painkillers.

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Deborah Lehmann Research Award OpportunityThe Deborah Lehmann Research Award in Paediatric Infectious Disease Research is a funding mechanism to support the training and development of early- to mid-career researchers (EMCR) or Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students who are nationals from the Pacific Region working in or outside their hom
Research
Global, regional, & national burden of rheumatic heart disease, 1990-2015We estimated the global disease prevalence of and mortality due to rheumatic heart disease over a 25-year period
Research
Study protocol for controlled human infection for penicillin G against Streptococcus pyogenes: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomised trial to determine the minimum concentration required to prevent experimental pharyngitis (the CHIPS trial)Regular intramuscular benzathine penicillin G injections have been the cornerstone of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) secondary prophylaxis since the 1950s. As the pharmacological correlate of protection remains unknown, it is difficult to recommend changes to this established regimen. Determining the minimum effective penicillin exposure required to prevent Streptococcus pyogenes infection will accelerate development of new long-acting penicillins for RHD prevention as well as inform opportunities to improve existing regimens. The CHIPS trial will address this knowledge gap by directly testing protection afforded by different steady state plasma concentrations of penicillin in an established model of experimental human S. pyogenes pharyngitis.
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Rheumatic heart disease mortality in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians between 2010 and 2017To generate contemporary age-specific mortality rates for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians aged <65 years who died from rheumatic heart disease between 2013 and 2017, and to ascertain the underlying causes of death of a prevalent RHD cohort aged <65 years who died during the same period.
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Rheumatic heart disease among adults in a mining community of Papua, Indonesia: findings from an occupational cohortTo describe the pattern of RHD occurrence in a sample of presenting cases from an occupational cohort in Papua Province, Indonesia.
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Establishing the lowest penicillin concentration to prevent pharyngitis due to Streptococcus pyogenes using a human challenge model (CHIPS)The in-vivo plasma concentration of penicillin needed to prevent Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis, recurrent acute rheumatic fever, and progressive rheumatic heart disease is not known. We used a human challenge model to assess the minimum penicillin concentration required to prevent streptococcal pharyngitis.
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Acceptability and Implementation Challenges of Benzathine Penicillin G Secondary Prophylaxis for Rheumatic Heart Disease in Ethiopia: A Qualitative StudyMonthly intramuscular injections of benzathine penicillin G (BPG) remain the cornerstone of secondary prophylaxis for acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). The barriers to successful delivery of BPG may be patient- or service-delivery-dependent.
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The 5 × 5 path toward rheumatic heart disease control: Outcomes from the third rheumatic heart disease forumThis editorial viewpoint regarding the outcomes from the third global Rheumatic Heart Disease Forum intends to carry forward dialogue & engage new...